The present invention generally relates to a fire assembly that can be used to install recessed light fixtures into various structures. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a fire assembly comprising a housing and a recessed light fixture that is configured to maintain the fire rating of a floor-ceiling assembly when installed.
Current residential buildings, such as apartments, assisted living housing developments, or condominiums, can be constructed in a variety of ways. Regardless of the manner of construction, however, the building must generally comply with certain fire safety standards, such as set forth by Underwriters Laboratories (xe2x80x9cULxe2x80x9d). For example, wood joists and sheet rock are typically used to create a residential-like atmosphere. When using such materials, the building structure must typically satisfy a specific UL xe2x80x9cfire-ratedxe2x80x9d floor assembly standard. For example, one applicable test is UL""s 1 hr. Fire Rated L-500 Floor-Ceiling Assembly test. This test measures and rates a given floor-ceiling assembly for fire safety compliance.
Very often, it is desired to install various accessories into building structures. For example, due to their aesthetic appearance, recessed lighting fixtures are commonly installed into residential and commercial building structures. A recess lighting fixture typically includes a light element surrounded by a light housing, often referred to as a xe2x80x9ccanxe2x80x9d. When installing a recessed lighting fixture, a hole must generally be cut into the ceiling. Once the hole is cut, the recessed lighting fixture can be attached to a joist above the ceiling. As a result, the recessed lighting fixture is positioned above the surface to distribute light therefrom.
However, one problem associated with installing recessed lighting fixtures in such a manner is that the hole cut in the ceiling can change the fire safety requirements of the floor-ceiling assembly. In particular, the ceiling structure is typically tested by UL prior to installing such recessed lighting fixtures. By cutting a hole in the ceiling, a non-continuous surface can result and the floor-ceiling assembly may no longer satisfy certain fire safety standards.
To overcome this problem, current builders have begun to fabricate separate boxes (xe2x80x9cfire boxesxe2x80x9d) around the recessed lighting fixtures just prior to installation to create a continuous ceiling surface. Most building inspectors interpret such a continuous ceiling surface as complying with all applicable fire standards. However, because these fire boxes are unattached and must be fabricated by the builder separately from the lighting fixture, a substantial amount of additional time and expense can be incurred. Moreover, because most builders are unaware of what size box is required for fire safety, exceedingly large boxes have often been utilized, causing unneeded cost and expense.
The present invention recognizes and addresses the foregoing problems and others experienced in the prior art.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved mechanism for installing recessed lighting fixtures into floor-ceiling assemblies.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a fire assembly that includes a recessed lighting fixture and can maintain the fire safety rating of a floor-ceiling assembly when installed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fire assembly that can be installed and sold as a single unit.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a fire-assembly that includes a housing and a recessed lighting fixture integrally contained therein.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by providing a fire assembly that includes a recessed lighting fixture. In one embodiment, the recessed light fixture can include a lamp, such as incandescent or flourescent lamps, enclosed within a light housing or xe2x80x9ccanxe2x80x9d. The light housing can have a generally cylindrical shape and be configured such that a lamp contained therein can distribute light from the housing. Examples of suitable recessed light fixtures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,758,959 to Sieczkowski; 5,857,766 to Sieczkowski; and 6,004,011 to Sieczkowski, which are all incorporated herein by reference.
According to the present invention, the fire assembly can also include a housing that encloses the recessed light fixture. In general, the housing, or fire box, can have any desired shape or size, so long as the housing is capable of providing a continuous fire wall when installed into a floor-ceiling assembly (e.g. a ceiling surface). A continuous surface can result when the housing is placed above an opening in the surface of a ceiling such that the opening is substantially covered by the housing. For instance, in one embodiment, the housing can comprise a cube-shaped box having a plurality of side walls and a top wall. In another embodiment, the cube-shaped box can also include a bottom wall. The bottom wall can, in some embodiments, define a hole that corresponds to the hole cut into the ceiling surface.
Typically, a housing of the present invention is generally fire-resistant such that it can impart some fire protection to the recessed lighting fixture and maintain the fire rating of the floor-ceiling assembly. For example, in one embodiment, a housing wall can contain at least one generally fire-resistant material. Examples of generally fire-resistant materials include, but are not limited to, dry wall or wallboard (e.g. sheet rock, plywood, asbestos cement sheets, gypsum plasterboard, laminated plastics, etc.), and plaster. In some embodiments of the present invention, the housing walls can contain more than one layer of material. For instance, in one embodiment, each housing wall can contain two layers of sheet rock material. Moreover, in other embodiments, other materials can also be attached to the generally fire-resistant materials. For instance, in one embodiment, each housing wall can contain an outer layer of sheet rock material attached to an inner layer of aluminum.
In general, any suitable method of attachment can be utilized to attach various walls and/or wall layers in accordance with the present invention. For instance, in one embodiment, an outer layer of sheet rock can be mechanically attached (e.g. screws) to an inner layer of aluminum to form one housing wall. In another embodiment, an outer layer of sheet rock can be adhesively attached to an inner layer of sheet rock to form a housing wall. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the walls can be attached using various attachment methods, such as mechanical or adhesive methods. For example, in one embodiment, a top wall can be adhesively attached to four side walls to form a cube-shaped fire box of the present invention.
In accordance with the present invention, various mechanisms can be utilized to connect the housing to the recessed light fixture such that an integral structure can be formed. For example, in one embodiment, a support structure can be provided to attach to both the recessed light fixture and the housing. In particular, a support structure, such as a metal frame, can first be attached to the outer surfaces of the recessed lighting fixture. Thereafter, the housing can be attached to the support structure such that an integral structure is formed by the attachment of the recessed light fixture, support structure, and housing. When attaching the support structure to the housing or recessed light fixture, any method of attachment known in the art, such as described above, can be utilized. It should be understood that various other mechanisms can be utilized to connect the recessed light fixture to a housing of the present invention. Moreover, in some embodiments, the recessed light fixture can be directly attached to the housing to form a fire assembly having an integral structure.
In some embodiments, a fire assembly of the present invention can also include a junction box for wiring the recessed light fixture. For instance, in one embodiment, the junction box can be contained within the housing. Moreover, in another embodiment, the junction box can be positioned outside the housing on a portion of the bottom wall of the housing extending beyond the intersection of the bottom wall and one of the side walls. Regardless of the position of the junction box, at least one conduit can be provided that can extend from the junction box to another conduit of another fire assembly or recessed light fixture. Consequently, such a conduit(s) can allow a fire assembly of the present invention to be easily connected to various other light fixtures within a building structure.
Other objects, features and aspects of the present invention are discussed in greater detail below.